The broader implications of Bulgaria’s political crisis

Last week Bulgaria’s government collapsed after a no-confidence vote in parliament. The move comes at a delicate time – especially considering Bulgaria’s position vis-a-vis Ukraine and Russia, and its role in holding up the EU integration of North Macedonia and Albania.

Following the vote of no-confidence, Bulgaria’s parliament voted to lift its veto on North Macedonia’s EU membership bid, which could have implications for the EU trajectory of the broader Western Balkans. Professor Yorgos Christidis joins Thanos Davelis to look at what the unfolding political developments in Bulgaria mean for the country, the West’s positions when it comes to Russia, and the Western Balkans. 

Yorgos Christidis is a research fellow at ELIAMEP and an Associate Professor of Comparative Politics at the Department of Balkan, Slavonic and Oriental Studies at the University of Macedonia in Greece, and a visiting Professor at the University of Sofia.